


Space exploration in the Victorian Era

by Pikkulef



Series: Ripper Street Writing Club [1]
Category: Ripper Street
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 07:57:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11226654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pikkulef/pseuds/Pikkulef
Summary: Work #1 for the #rswritingclub on tumblr. I just decided to post them here, because. Short, silly works for now, but who knows.Careful, these were not edited and writen as always at the last minute. Or after.





	Space exploration in the Victorian Era

“And _what_ is this?”  
The Captain, who had just sat at the other side of the desk, picked up a book that lied on one corner, seemingly forgotten. 

“Hello, Captain.” Reid looked up from his work and above his reading glasses to decipher the book’s title between Jackson’s fingers. _From The Earth to the Moon._ “Oh, this.” He dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “It must be Mathilda’s.”   
Jackson smiled at the sudden pink on the inspector’s cheeks, but said nothing, leafing through the book.   
“She came up here earlier, and as I was tied with these reports she just waited and read. She must have left it when Bennet took her for a stroll…  
“Do you really think I will buy this?” Jackson smiled. “You’ve been reading this, don’t you?   
Reid, annoyed, cleared his throat and took his glasses off, folding them neatly on the desk. But he didn’t exactly deny : “It _is_ Mathilda’s book, however.”

“ _… the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil War_ _society of weapons enthusiasts,”_ Jackson started reading, in an inspired voice, “ _and their attempts to launch three people—the Gun Club’s president, his Philadelphian armor-making rival, and a French poet—in a projectile with the goal of a moon landing_ _.”_ He scoffed. “Really, Reid?   
“One cannot be always reading about murders.   
“True thing.” Jackson helped himself with some of the brandy from the carafe on the other desk corner, under Reid’s slightly disapproving look. Which transformed into amused when Jackson handed him the first glass before pouring a second one for himself. 

“Don’t you have better things do to, though?   
“Don’t _you_ , Captain?   
“But the _Moon_? Really?   
Sensing Jackson was actually curious and wouldn’t leave him alone if he didn’t play this little game with him, Reid sat back in his chair, glass in hand, and answered.   
“Of course, it is impossible. A mere dream from that Frenchman, Jules Verne. Which makes for an entertaining story. But can you imagine? Landing on the Moon? Such an advancement for humanity!   
Jackson was studying the cover. “They’d need a way bigger cannon though. The one drawn here, hah, they’d blow off and end up in the ocean a few thousand miles away. And that’s if they were smart enough to do so on a shore.    
“I see you do give it some thought. It is an interesting exercise to think about, how it could be made possible, isn’t it?  
“Yeah, I mean – ” Jackson grabbed a lose paper, checked that it was not being used, snatched a pencil from Reid’s side and started to draw. “You see, with the Earth’s curve… That wouldn’t work…”  
Reid tilted his head on the side so he could understand the wibbly lines on the paper.   
“They do get off from Florida, though. To be the closest from the equator. Wouldn’t it work, with enough gunpowder?  
“Nah, we want people in there, remember? No, we need to be smarter than this.” Jackson continued scribbling, Reid correcting wrong angles and checking calculations.  

They had reached a pretty convincing mechanism, when :  
“But what if-“  
“Captain Jackson! Dad! You found my book!” Mathilda was suddenly all over them, taking the book from Jackson’s hand and kissing her father on the cheek at the same time. “Thank you!”  
“Oh yes, darling,” Jackson laughed. “He’s found your book indeed. But no worries, if you lose it again, he can probably recite it to you by heart anyway.”   
Reid cast a dark look at Jackson, but then turned and smiled to Mathilda.   
“And how do you like this book, then?”  
Mathilda frowned.   
“Not much. It is very silly, flying to the Moon…”

Reid tried to ignore Jackson almost dying of laughter and swiftly made the incriminating piece of paper disappear from view, just as Drake entered his office.


End file.
